Shilo Sanders is asking a federal judge to keep key records from his upcoming bankruptcy trial out of the public eye as he fights to erase an $11.89 million judgment tied to a 2015 incident involving a former high school security guard.
Court Battle
According to new court filings, the 26-year-old son of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders does not object to the public attending his Aug. 31 bankruptcy trial. Instead, he wants the written transcript and all trial exhibits sealed after the proceedings conclude, arguing the case involves events that happened when he was a minor at just 15 years old.
The request has sparked a legal battle with USA Today, which is asking the court to reject the proposal and keep the records public. The newspaper argues that Sanders should not receive special treatment because of his celebrity status.
“There is absolutely no basis to seal… any trial transcript or any evidence in this run-of-the-mill bankruptcy case,” attorneys representing the newspaper wrote in a filing, arguing that sealing the records would violate the First Amendment right of public access.
There have been a series of sealed proceedings in Sanders’ bankruptcy case, including a July 14 pretrial hearing that was closed to the public. USA Today moved to intervene in the case in July, seeking greater transparency and access to court records.
Judge Michael Romero will decide whether the transcript and trial evidence remain public, are partially sealed or are kept confidential.
The bankruptcy trial itself centers on Sanders’ effort to eliminate an $11.89 million judgment awarded to John Darjean, a former security guard at Sanders’ Dallas high school.
Darjean sued Sanders over a 2015 altercation, alleging the then-15-year-old football player assaulted him during a dispute over a cellphone. Sanders has maintained he acted in self-defense.
After Sanders failed to appear for a 2022 civil trial, a Texas judge entered a default judgment against him totaling nearly $12 million.
Sanders filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2023, seeking to discharge the debt. Darjean, however, argues the judgment resulted from a “willful and malicious injury,” which would make it ineligible for discharge under federal bankruptcy law.
The trial will take place Aug. 31.
Sanders went undrafted in 2025 and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. He was subsequently waived, and he has not caught on with another NFL team.
